Sat nights at 45 minutes after Shabbat from Aviv boxes: 10-14 km Migdal Hamayim Course at a relaxed recovery pace. Another option is a friendly 7 km starting 35 minutes after Shabbat ends from Rechov Reuven in Sheinfeld. Finally, there is a large RBS group that meets on Dolev and Dolev one hour after Shabbat.

Monday Nights 8:30 PM: Speedwork on the corner of Dolev and Dolev.

Wednesday Mornings 5:30 AM Medium Long Run 16-18 km from the top of Hashoshan

To congratulate you all on a job well done would be to absurdly understate the magnitude of what you have all accomplished. May Hashem bless us with the ability to conquer new challenges in many other arenas of our lives.

Now I have one personal request. Please, please write a blog about your marathon experience. There is no more meaningful and effective way of giving than inspiring others so please do it in the next few days while the memories are fresh. Shabbat Shalom.

Marathon Training - Race Day Strategy

All the diligent and consistent training that you have done over the past eighteen weeks has brought you to the starting line of the 32nd Tiberias Marathon in fantastic shape. However, without an intelligent, well-thought out strategy for the race itself, you will not perform optimally. Because of its formidable distance, the marathon is a race that has to be run with your head as well as your heart and legs. Therefore, I suggest you read this article carefully to help you formulate your plan.

Warming Up: Although warming up is generally very important for most races, particularly those of shorter distances where you plan to run fast from the outset, it is far less important for the marathon. Warming up prepares your body to run at race pace by increasing your body temperature, your metabolic rate and the circulation of blood to your muscles. The problem with warming up for the marathon is that it also uses up valuable glycogen stores and one of the most critical elements of your race is to preserve your glycogen stores as much as possible so that you are not forced to burn fat earlier than necessary. Therefore, you need to do the minimum warm-up necessary to prepare your body to handle race pace as soon as the starter's gun is fired so that you save as much of your precious carbohydrate reserves as possible for the 42.2 km ahead. A 4-5 minute warm-up should do the trick since your marathon pace should be a pace that feels relatively easy. Begin your warmup by jogging slowly and picking up the pace slightly every 30 seconds until you are at race pace for the final 30 seconds. Then stretch gently including loosening up your shoulders and neck. That's it. Find your way to a good spot on the starting line and make sure that you meet up with whomever you are planning to run with.

Pacing strategy: There are huge debates among running experts about virtually every aspect of the Marathon. But there is one thing that absolutely EVERYBODY agrees with. You cannot bank time in the first half for an inevitable slowdown in the second half. In other words, if you think that you should run faster than your goal pace during the first half while you are still feeling strong because it will give you some breathing room in the second half, think again. You will pay very dearly for making this mistake. If your goal is 3:30, don't run a 1:38 first half on the theory that you can run 1:52 in the second half and still reach your goal. Chances are that if you do this, you will crash in the second half and be reduced to a shuffle or worse. The reason for this is that your optimal marathon race pace is just below your lactate threshold pace. If you run faster than that (as in the above example), lactate accumulates in your muscles and blood which deactivates the enzymes for energy production and forces you to slow down big time. You also use more glycogen which means you will have your joyful encounter with "The Wall" earlier than necessary. Therefore, the best strategy is to run relatively even pacing. The Tiberias course is conducive to this as the course is relatively flat throughout. Start out by running the first kilometer (or first 2 kilometers if you want to play it conservatively) at 10 seconds slower than goal pace. Ignore the many fools who tear off like bats out of hell. Believe me, you will catch them later. Drop your pace by 5 seconds in kilometer 2 or 3 and by kilometer 4, you should be running at goal race pace. Maintain this until the halfway mark. At the halfway mark, do a body check. Ask yourself how you are feeling? If you are feeling good, you can quicken your pace by a few seconds per kilometer but nothing drastic. At kilometer 32, if you are still feeling strong, pick up the pace by a few more seconds per kilometer but still run in control until kilometer 39. At that point, there is no reason to hold back. Give it whatever you have left. That doesn't mean you should start sprinting. It means you can begin running at tempo pace. Your sprint should begin when you see the 42 kilometer sign just ahead. Use that last 300 meters to show yourself that you have mastered the marathon and finish strong with arms upright in victory like the champion that you are. The huge advantage of running a negative or even split is that you will be passing many runners in the late stages of the race who did not run as intelligently as you did and that is a fantastic feeling.

General Race Observations: I cannot overstate the value of running the marathon with a group of runners of similar ability. The marathon is a long grind and it will be immeasurably more difficult if you have to go it alone. If your goal pace is close to that of one of the pacers, stick to that group for as long as you can. Aside from the
significant motivational aspects of running with a group, you will be able to take turns drafting and thereby conserve energy. This is a major factor on a windy day as is usually the case in Tiberias. If you are running near someone who strikes you as unfriendly, don't take it personally. Don't try to race against him when he moves ahead of you. Run with your head, not your ego. Your only race today is against the clock.

The first half is the time to cruise mentally. Try to save your mental and emotional energy for the second half. Just get the first half out of the way at the correct pace without using any more mental energy than necessary.

From the halfway mark to 32 km is the no-man's land of the marathon. You are already a bit tired and there is a long way to go. If you feel strong, follow the pacing strategy outlined above and pick up the pace a bit. Otherwise, try and hang with a group as long as possible. You have to expect moments of crisis (a.k.a. "rough patches") during the marathon. When it happens (and it will), don't panic. Often, these patches last a few kilometers and then mysteriously disappear. The important thing is not to allow yourself to think negatively. Have the confidence to know that you can tough it out and overcome this challenge. It is precisely this kind of challenge which makes the marathon such a rewarding experience. Ask yourself how badly you want it.

From 32 km to the finish is the character part of the marathon. This is what we have prepared for in our long runs. Here's where all that hard work will really pay off. It's the stretch that poorly prepared marathoners fear and well-prepared marathoners such as yourselves relish.

Drinking and Eating: The secret to a successful marathon (aside from proper pacing) is staying properly hydrated and avoiding glycogen depletion. You should aim to consume at least 600 carbohydrate calories during the first 36 kilometers of the race. Gels have 90 calories each and three of them will therefore supply 270 calories. Sports Drink and iced tea each have about 28 calories per 100 ml. Thus if you drink 1.5 liters (and this should be an absolute minimum), that will supply an additional 420 calories. The question is when and how to consume these all-important commodities? The answer is a lot earlier than you think. Personally, I plan to take the gels at 10 kilometer intervals (10, 20 and 30 km marks). I also plan to place (the night before) 1/2 liter bottles of iced tea at these points to help me wash them down. However, this is not all. I will also have an additional 1/2 liter of iced tea at kilometer 36. This is the latest time in the race that you can take in carbohydrate and still have it be absorbed in your system in time to be useful. They do distribute Sports Drink at some of the aid stations in Tiberias but it did not have a Hechsher in previous years and the late stages of the marathon are an especially inopportune time to antagonize the Almighty. Don't wait until 10k to drink though. At every water station, drink something (at least a few gulps) but make sure that you are getting a substantial amount of liquid (300-500 ml) on at least four separate occasions. I strongly recommend walking through those four stations to make sure that you get the liquid down. The few seconds you will lose will pay huge dividends as you stay properly hydrated through the late stages of the race. An additional benefit is that the few seconds of walking will relieve some of the eccentric stress on your running muscles and this can also make a difference near the end when your quads are begging for mercy.

Expectations and Results: Don't ruin your marathon experience by making success dependent on a goal set in stone. It's a long race and anything can happen and it often does, even to the professional runners who do nothing but prepare for two marathons per year. It is important to have a goal but it is ludicrous to judge yourself a failure if, on a particular day, you were not at the top of your game and ran a few minutes slower. You are running a marathon, a supreme physical challenge at an age when the vast majority of your contemporaries are sedentary couch-potatoes. Furthermore, this is the only full marathon in the Land of Israel. If every four cubits (Arbah Amot) traveled by foot in Eretz Yisroel is a Mitzva, by my calculation, you will earn roughly 20,000 of them on that fine Thursday morning. Don't lose sight of the big picture. You have accomplished the incredible regardless of your finishing time.

And finally, as arbitrary as it sounds, your expectations will sometimes have to be modified by the weather. If it pours or is hot or very windy, you are unlikely to reach a goal which assumes optimal conditions. Be flexible enough to adjust if necessary. Above all, savor every moment of this amazing experience. That's it, my friends. Now go and conquer.

Marathon Training - Week 18

Just 11 days before you line up in Tiberias and make history. Yes, we are all exhausted and obsessing about all the little aches and pains which seem to have suddenly appeared. Not to worry. You will be in top form on January 8th. Have confidence in your training because you are truly some of the best prepared marathoners in this country. If you have followed the schedule, you have run over 1200 kilometers in the last 18 weeks, including 7 runs of over 30 km and 18 runs of half marathon distance or longer. You have done tempos, fartleks, cruise intervals, hill repeats, strides and recovery runs. Given your outstanding fitness level, there is absolutely nothing that can possibly throw you for a loop in Teverya other than a hurricane.

We are in serious taper mode this week and our mileage is down to 52 km. Taper, however, involves more than reduced running volume. Make sure that you are eating intelligent, high carb meals and including at least one significant source of protein each day. Because you are running less, cut the empty calories out of your diet to avoid gaining weight. In addition, make sure that you are drinking plenty. Never pass a water fountain without taking several sips and keep a water bottle close by and drain it several times a day. Try to get to bed at a reasonable hour and avoid stressful activities to whatever extent possible. Finally, begin visualizing yourself crossing the finish line in Tiberias in your optimal goal time and whooping it up in celebration with your fellow runners afterwards. Positive imaging can have a profound impact on your performance on race day.

Ahhh......the Magic Taper. The mere sound of the phrase rolling off the tongue is soothing balm to the runner's aching muscles. Well, my friends, we are there. After today's sensational 38 km run, the hay is in the barn and you are officially declared marathon ready. All you need to do now is recover, maintain your peak fitness and stay healthy. Although we gradually reduce the mileage during the taper, we do not reduce the intensity of the runs until the last week. Marathoners need to continuously be reassured that they have not lost fitness and by reminding the body how to run fast, you will maintain peak fitness and soothe your fragile psyche. Incidentally, there is nothing you can do in terms of workouts at this stage to get fitter. What you can do is properly target the appropriate zones in the reduced mileage that we will be doing and to get plenty of rest. What most people don't understand is that hard training merely produces the stimulus to adapt to a new level. However, the actual adaption to a new level transpires during rest. What this means is that without the proper rest, we will not reap the benefits of the amazing training season that we just completed. The trick with tapering is to do the minimum possible without losing peak fitness. Here's what this week holds in store for us:

Thursday: Rest
Friday: 17 km relaxed in Yishi Forest.
Saturday night: 10-12 km recovery run. Run at a very easy pace, If you are too sore to do it Saturday night, do it on Sunday but it's important not to miss recovery runs, especially this one. A recovery run will facilitate blood flow and help repair microscopic tissue damage and whether you realize it or not, you've got plenty of that from today's run.
Sunday: Rest or 10-12 km recovery for those who missed Sat. night.
Monday: 4 x 2000 cruise intervals at 10 seconds faster than goal marathon pace w/1000 meter jog in between. Start and end with a one loop cooldown. (14 km total). Meet on Dolev at 8:30 if you are not in Eilat.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 16k medium long run. Run the first 4k and the last 4k very easy and run the middle eight km
at goal marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 24 km Lamed Hay Rd run starting with one Narkiss loop from the Aviv boxes at 7:00 AM. Another dress rehearsal. Wear your marathon shorts, shirt, shoes and socks. Bring your gels and anything else you plan to use in the marathon. Do the first 7km, 30 seconds (at least) slower than goal marathon pace, then do the next 10 km at 10 seconds faster than marathon pace. Take the Zachariya hill VERY EASY and finish strong (HM pace) to Gan Haplastic before jogging the last kilometer to Charzit.

Time to cut the junk out of your diet. Stay away from heavy desserts and sweet drinks but don't consciously diet. Eat intelligent high carb meals and make sure that you include a significant source of protein (eggs, fish, meat, fowl) at least once a day. Have a great week.

Marathon Training - Week 15

It's Race Week and the Bet Shemsh Running Club is being represented by an incredible delegation of over 30 runners poised to bring pride to themselves and to their city. Everyone is excited and perhaps a bit nervous. This is both natural and healthy. What we do in the few days prior to the race is crucial to our success. In general, it is better at this stage to err on the side of doing too little rather than doing too much. This is because no single workout, no matter how vigorous or intense can improve your fitness level by more than 1%. On the other hand, having a residual sense of fatigue in the body can impact your race performance by over 10%. Therefore, the trick is to do the minimum possible this week while maintaining our sharpness.

A few notes about the race itself. Bet Shean is an extremely flat course (with some minor exceptions). Therefore, it is best to run at an even pace. However, the first two kilometers should be run slightly slower (15 seconds per kilometer) than your overall goal pace to allow you to ease into your optimal stride rythm. This is easier said than done. Your adrenalin will be flowing and you will see many foolish runners tearing off like bats out of hell. Ignore them. Rest assured, you will pass them later in the race. Most inexperienced runners start out considerably faster than their goal race pace and start building up lactic acid immediately which ultimately causes them to finish the race slowly, weak and exhausted. For those of you to whom the distance itself represents a challenge, do not bother to warm up. Rather, use the first 2 km as your warmup. Your race will go by much more quickly and enjoyably if you run with other runners. Find someone who shares your goal pace (this will not be difficult with 1500 runners expected in Bet Shean) and help each other out. This will help you to disassociate and this is important in races lasting over 1 hour.

Don't overintellectualize the event. You have run this distance before without any unusual preparations and the same is true of Thursday. You should eat a high carbohydrate meal (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, bagels, cereal, bananas are all good choices) on Wednesday, stay well hydrated and try to get a good night of sleep (although research actually indicates that your sleep on Tuesday night is more important). Eat a good (but not heavy) breakfast of cereal, toast, banana and orange juice on Thursday. A half marathon is not long enough to cause glycogen depletion so this is not a factor the way it is in a full marathon. Similarly, dehydration is rarely a factor unless the weather is unusually hot or humid. There are plenty of water stops along the way and you should grab a bottle at most of them and drink 4-6 ounces. Drinking much more than this at one time will cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. If you don't mind carrying the bottle and sipping ocassionally, you should do so. Be flexible and smart about your goal. If the weather is bad, mentally adjust your goal to reflect the conditions.

Most importantly, enjoy the event. You have worked hard to get here and this day should be a celebration of your fitness and accomplishments with your friends and training partners who have long shared the same goal. Do not become so fixated with a specific time goal that you see your race as a failure just because you run a few minutes slower than your optimal goal time. I know many runners who become so competitive that they sap all the joy out of running and this is tragic.

A final personal word. I am truly humbled and inspired by all of the runners in this extraordinary club. In particular, the many new runners who have achieved so much in so short a time are eloquent testimony to what one is capable of with the proper discipline and motivation. I look forward to celebrating with all of you at the finish line and at the celebratory meal afterwards.

Only 13 days to Bet Shean and 41 days to Teverya. We have been pushing hard and most of us felt the exhaustion today on the hilly Deir Rafat 24 km course. Rest assured, my friends, that we are in the home stretch of our training. The Magic Taper is just three weeks away. Be confident in the knowledge that all this hard work has made you and your training partners some of the best prepared marathoners in the Holy Land. Marathoners continue to push hard this week as we contunue with our race preparation and sharpening before backing off a bit next week for Bet Shean. Half marathoners pull back this week to be well rested for their goal race. Here's what this week holds in store for us:

Marathoners: Week 14 of 18
Saturday: 14 km at an easy pace. Recovery runs are shorter when we run very long on Fridays. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast. Increase blood flow and soft tissue damage repair is facilitated by running the appropriately slow pace.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: 10k tempo (14 km total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16-22 km medium long (Just do it)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 36 km Zakhariya and back

Six weeks to go and virtually everyone has moved into a different league. The pace for the 38 km run to Rechovot on Friday was nothing short of astounding. We now move into a four week phase that I call race preparation and peaking. You already have the speed and the distance to run a brilliant marathon. All you need to do now is hone your ability to pace wisely and consistently. We pull back a bit on mileage this week but maintain and even increase the intensity a bit. Here's what this week holds in store for us:

Marathoners: Week 13 of 18
Saturday: 10 km at an easy pace. Recovery runs are shorter when we run very long on Fridays. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast. Increase blood flow and soft tissue damage repair is facilitated by running the appropriately slow pace.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: 48 minute fartlek in RBS (14 km total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 18-22 km medium long (Just do it)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 24 km Deir Rafat plus two Narkiss loops.

Just seven weeks until we line up in Tiberias ready to make history. It is worth taking a step back and realizing how you are routinely doing things each week that just two months ago would have seemed impossible. This is the reward for your effort and consistency. We move into our last week of the Lactate Threshold and Endurance phase of our training which we follow with four weeks of race preparation before we move into our three week taper period. This week is highlighted by a long hill repeat workout on Monday and the longest distance you will ever run outside of a marathon, a 38 km run to Rechovot on Friday. (we do this distance twice) Here's what this week holds in store for us:

Marathoners: Week 12 of 18
Saturday: 14 km at an easy pace. Recovery runs are longer when we do not run very long on Fridays. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Long Hill repeats. 3 x 1600 meter hill from Ben Zeev traffic circle to the Mercaz. (13 km total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16 km medium long (Just do it)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 38 km Rechovot plus two Narkiss loops.

Things are really coming together. Most of the marathoners had their best ever long run last Friday both in terms of distance and speed. The energy of the group is palpable and contagious and spurs every runner on to greater achievements regardless of his/her level. The next few weeks are extremely important ones in our training cycle. We will be focusing largely on pacing in order to establish ambitious but realistic marathon goals. Here's what the week holds in store for us. Please note that from now on, there will be no separate column for novice marathoners. All marathoners, novice and advanced should follow the same schedule unless otherwise instructed.

Marathoners: Week 11 of 18
Saturday: 12 km at an easy pace. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Cruise intervals 4 x 2000 meters at 10 seconds/km faster than goal marathon pace w/4 minutes jogging in between.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 18 km medium long (especially critical since we are not running very long on Friday)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 24 km Rt 383 (2 x 5000 at marathon pace)

As we move into the 2nd half of our 18 week marathon training, both the volume and intensity of our workouts increase. In these next few weeks, we will be pushing our bodies to the limit, achieving new levels of fitness and giving us the confidence to know that we can run the marathon with spectacular results. Here's what the week holds in store for us.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 10 of 18
Saturday: 12 km at an easy pace. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: 10 km tempo on Narkiss (14 km total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16 km medium long (Time to get serious about these medium long runs)
Thursday: 36 km Rechovot plus one Narkiss loop

Novice Marathoners: Week 10 of 18
Saturday: 10 km at an easy pace. You should be able to converse easily during the run and your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: 10 km tempo on Narkiss (14 km total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16 km medium long (Time to get serious about these medium long runs)
Thursday: 28 km Rechovot (start from Tzomet Shimshon)

Mazal Tov to the 23 runners who participated in the spectacularly beautiful and inspiring Aliya b'regel run to Jerusalem on Friday. This is our final week of base training before we move into the Lactate Threshold and Endurance Phase of our training. Therefore, we will be stepping up to our highest mileage week yet, punctuated by the Friday run to Rechovot.

Here's what this week holds in store for the various groups.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 8
Saturday: 9-10 km at an easy pace. You should be able to converse easily during the runand your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Final trail run of the season in Beit Natif 16.4 km. Meet at Aviv boxes at 6:00 AM
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16 km medium long
Thursday: rest
Friday: 34 km Rechovot

Novice Marathoners: Week 8 of 18
Saturday: 9-10 km at an easy pace. You should be able to converse easily during the runand your muscles should feel looser after the run than before it. Do not ruin the recovery run by going too fast.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Final trail run of the season in Beit Natif 16.4 km. Meet at Aviv boxes at 6:00 AM
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 14 km medium long
Thursday: rest
Friday: 16 km medium long

Advanced Marathoners: Week 6 of 18
Saturday: 12-14 km at moderate pace with some fast sections of 600-1200 meters interspersed with easy running. This is not the usual easy Saturday night recovery run because we only ran 18 km on Friday.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group session on Narkiss. 5k Time trial (12k total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 16 km medium long Erev Yom Kippur Trail run
Thursday: rest Yom Kippur
Friday: 24 km Yishi

Novice Marathoners: Week 6of 18
Saturday: 10 km at moderate pace with some fast sections of 400-800 meters interspersed with easy running. This is not the usual easy Saturday night recovery run because we only ran 18 km on Friday.
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group session on Narkiss. 5k Time trial (12k total)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 13 km medium long Erev Yom Kippur Trail run
Thursday: rest Yom Kippur
Friday: Lamed Hat Road 21 km

Few things are as soothing to a marathoner-in-training's sore muscles as the lyrical term "recovery week". After four weeks of steady and intense buildup, we use this week to pull back and allow ourselves some well-earned rest. The only intense exertion you should be making this week is in the realm of prayer.

Here's what this week holds in store for the various groups.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 5 of 18
Saturday: 9 km at recovery pace. We will be
cutting out the hill to Rd 38 and Rakefet in deference to Friday's hilly 30 km run. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Erev Rosh Hashana. No Monday Night session this week but we will be running 14 km on Monday morning in the Western Industrial Zone..
Tuesday: daven
Wednesday: 12 km Migdal Hamayim on Motzei Rosh Hashana
Friday: 18 km Medium Long Run. Martyr's Forest

Novice Marathoners: Week 5 of 18
Saturday: 9 km at recovery pace. We will be cutting out the hill to Rd 38 and Rakefet in deference to Friday's hilly 30 km run. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Erev Rosh Hashana. No Monday Night session this week but we will be running 12 km on Monday morning in the Western Industrial Zone..
Tuesday: daven
Wednesday: 12 km Migdal Hamayim on Motzei Rosh Hashana
Friday: 18 km Medium Long Run. Martyr's Forest

We are officially one sixth of the way through our 18 week marathon training schedule. Three town and fifteen to go. As we ramp up, you are probably starting to feel the fatigue. That is both completely natural and healthy. We are breaking down muscle tissue in oredr to rebuild stronger ones. This week is challenging one but it is followed by a pullback week in which we dramatically reduce mileage in oredr to recover and consolidate our hard-earned fitness gains. Here's what this week holds in store for the various groups.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 4 of 18
Saturday: 10-12 km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Long Hill Repeats in the Mercaz . 3 x 1600 hills (14 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run Ramp up to 18km this week at a moderate pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 30 km Long Run. Roglit Vineyard Run

Novice Marathoners: Week 4 of 18
Saturday: 10km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Long Hill Repeats in the Mercaz . 2 x 1600 hills (11 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 12km w/ 3 km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 17 km Long Run. Time and place will be posted in separate email.

Half Marathoners: Week 3 of 14
Saturday: rest or crosstrain
Sunday: rest
Monday: Long Hill Repeats in the Mercaz . 2 x 1600 hills (11 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 11k
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long Run. 14km (time and place will be posted in separate email)

Marathon Training - Week 3

Two down and sixteen ago. Running Fever is in the air in Bet Shemesh. When you hit the road, you are not only doing something incredible for your health but you are inspiring others to follow suit. The weather has taken a major turn for the better and early morning and evening running has suddenly turned into a pleasant experience. The record turnout of of 40 runners to the Monday night workout was inspiring and energizing. Please make the effort to come down to the corner of Narkiss and Hashoshan at 8:30 this Monday night for a terrific interval workout. Here's what this week holds in store for the various groups.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 3 of 18
Saturday: 12-14 km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group workout on Narkiss. 6 x 1000 intervals (14 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 16km w/ 6km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 27 km Long Run. Time and place will be posted in separate email.

Novice Marathoners: Week 3 of 18
Saturday: 10km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group workout on Narkiss. 4 x 1000 intervals (11 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 11km w/ 4 km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 15 km Long Run. Time and place will be posted in separate email.

Half Marathoners: Week 3 of 14
Saturday: rest or crosstrain
Sunday: rest
Monday: Group workout on Narkiss. 4 x 1000 intervals (11 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 10k
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long Run. 12km (time and place will be posted in separate email)

Marathon Training - Week 2

Congratulations. You have just completed your first week of marathon or half marathon training. Many of you first timers ran your longest run ever and the advanced marathoners powered through a back-to-reality tough first week of training. The weather has been brutal and that has made running difficult but hopefully we will see relief on this front in the near future. Remember that we are in base training and our primary objective over the next few weeks is simply to incresae our endurance. The only speed work you should be doing is in the context of the Monday night workouts but unless otherwise directed by the schedule, all your other running should be done at a relaxed pace. Once again, a reminder that the Monday night workouts are designed to be done jointly by each of the groups so please make every effort to attend Monday night sessions. They will really help you improve. Here's what this week holds in store for the various groups.

Advanced Marathoners: Week 2 of 18
Saturday: 12-14 km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group workout in RBS. 8k Tempo run (12 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 16k w/ 5 km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 24 km Long Run. Time and place will be posted in separate email.

Novice Marathoners:Week 2 of 18
Saturday: 9 km at recovery pace. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustained during Friday's long run. If you cannot talk comfortably during this run, you are running too fast and losing all benefits from this run. Slow down.,
Sunday: Rest or do the recovery run if you did not do it on Saturday night.
Monday: Group workout in RBS. 5k Tempo run (9 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 10k w/ 3 km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 13 km Long Run. Time and place will be posted in separate email.

Half Marathoners: Week 2 of 14
Saturday: rest or crosstrain
Sunday: rest
Monday: Group workout in RBS. 5k Tempo run (9 km total). A separate email will be sent explaining how to do this workout.
Tuesday: rest or crosstrain
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 9k
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long Run. 11k (time and place will be posted in separate email)

Marathon Training - Week 1

At long last, the marathoning and half marathoning season is upon us. If you follow the schedules, I guarantee that you will be in the shape of your life on race day. I will be sending out a weekly email explaining what the week holds in store for us. Below are the schedules for advanced maratgoners, novice marathoners and half marathoners. Please note that the Monday night workouts are designed to be done jointly by each of the groups so please make every effort to attend Monday night sessions. Here's what our first week looks like.

Advanced Marathoners:
Saturday: 10-12 km at recovery pace w/100 meter strides. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustain during very long runs (which we will be doing on Fridays).
Sunday: 10k Nike Night Run or Rest.
Monday: Group workout on Narkiss 48 minute fartlek. (separate email will be sent explaining this workout)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 14k w/ 4 km at half marathon pace.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long Run. Lamed Hay Rd (time will be posted in separate email)

Novice Marathoners:
Saturday: 8 km at recovery pace w/100 meter strides. (recovery pace means a pace at least 30 seconds/km slower than your regular, non-speedwork training pace. The objective is to facilitate bloodflow to the muscles and repair microscopic soft-tissue damage that the muscles sustain during very long runs (which we will be doing on Fridays).
Sunday: 10k Nike Night Run or Rest.
Monday: Group workout on Narkiss 36 minute fartlek. (separate email will be sent explaining this workout)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: Medium Long Run 9k.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long Run. 12 km (time will be posted in separate email)

I know that it is still early and that most of you are enjoying easy and relaxed summer running. By all means, continue to do so. Still, it's never too early to start getting excited about an inspiring goal and with this in mind, I am pleased to attach this year's 18 week, day by day, advanced marathon training schedule. The season officially begins on Saturday night, August 30th (our training weeks begin on Saturday nights). Yes, the program is challenging and demanding but I personally guarantee that if you follow it faithfully, you will arrive at the starting line in Tiberias in the shape of your life and ready for a spectacular PR. Some notes about the schedule:

1) The schedule is based on a 4x week training program. Theoretically, you can get by on 3x a week but a word of caution is in order here. Long runs and quality speed runs are not the place to skimp. It is much better to miss Saturday night than to miss a long or medium long run. Monday nights are crucial because each week we will be focusing on a different aspect of running such as speed, hills, pacing, technique etc. If you are at the opposite extreme and want to train more (fat chance) you can add up to 12k on two of the three rest days (one day of total rest is absolutely critical for even the most obsessive runner) but be sure to maintain a very relaxed pace during these runs.

The specific run distances and paces are all geared to focus on the specific objectives we seek to achieve during each training phase.

3) More specific instructions regarding the pacing of long and medium long runs will be provided each week in a weekly email detailing the running week ahead. Smart runners listen to their bodies and therefore some modifications may be made to the schedule based on our training progress and general fitness and fatigue levels.

4) There are seven long runs of more than 30k, including the annual run to Jerusalem on Friday October 17th (third day of Chol Hamoed Succot). This may sound like a lot but these runs are the key to marathoning success. You can certainly cross the finish line on less than the schedule demands but as a general rule, the more closely you follow the schedule, the better shape you will be in on January 8th.

5) The schedule calls for participation in two races leading up to the marathon (the Ashdod 10k and the Bet Shean half marathon.) It is useful to get some racing experience under your belt in races that don't mean that much in order to prepare yourself for that huge race that means everything. If you can't make it to these races, you should nonetheless try to simulate the race distance on your own.

6) Last year, the Bet Shemesh Running Club was represented by an incredible 18 marathoners who produced fantastic results. I hope that all of last year's participants will be back and that we will add quite a few more (Victor, Phil, Yossi, Gary, Shlomit, Sarah). Training is so much more inspiring and motivating when it is a shared experience.

7) There will be a separate schedule for novice runners who would like to run a marathon so if you know anyone who might be interested, please have them contact me.

8) As you probably know by now, we have an excellent website that is constantly being updated and enhanced. Please feel free to log on frequently for training tips and all other running related issues.